ZoomNotes

Dec2019 update: ZN is still my favorite planner app. In 2019 I switched around a lot. Setup two different planners in ZN, looked at switching back to GoodNotes, and tried to switch to just an iCal + ToDo app. In the end I found myself back to ZN and a simplified iCal-reminders. With ZN I can use an existing PDF planner and modify it to suit my needs. Using layers and adding my own links are super powerful. Create background & layout layers to keep stickers or images separate from your background, add a master layer for tabs so you only need to label your planner tabs 1x instead of on every page. I keep links on a separate layer that is not a master layer this way I can have a common placement for a link (say top right corner of the page) that goes to a similar but different page such as the current monthly habit tracker. A layer for pen/text that acts as the place daily work happens. When everything is done for that day/week/month I can compress the layers all to background which helps keep file size down. I get all the flexibility of layers, long term history of a journal or planner. Original review: Great app for digital planning. Create layers, sub-documents. Several customizable pen options, create multiple color pallets, and so much more. The developer is quick to respond to questions, suggestion and problem solving.

This is the most versatile note taking app I have found. I use it for all my note taking. I really like the ability to insert handwritten notes with pdf files, including adding pages etc. It takes a bit to get used to all the features but it is well worth the effort. The ease of zooming in and out and writing in the margins of PDF files is also very handy. Still very happy with it. I love the infinite whiteboard option. It really feels like having a large whiteboard where you can write anywhere. It’s also great for annotating a pdf file when you need to write more than just minor comments. This continuous to be my favorite note taking app. One of the features of traditional writing and note taking is that you can spread out multiple sheets of paper in front of you. This allows you to keep a good overview of what you are working on. I really missed this aspect of physical notes when I switched to my iPad. However, the whiteboard mode with infinite zoom of ZoomNotes allows me to effectively have a virtual desk with many sheets of handwritten notes. (Tip: lay out a grid of letter size boundaries on your whiteboard before starting to take notes. You can easily fit 25 pages that way. Well, of course you could do millions but you want to mimic a physical desk.)

This is the second review I’ve ever written for an app (and I’ve downloaded my fair share over the years), but I had to write this review. ZoomNotes is feature rich and worth the small amount of effort it takes to explore and learn how everything works. I’ve downloaded nearly every major note taking app in the AppStore and think this one is the best! This app does more than mimic writing on paper. It actually allows you to use all of the benefits of a tablet (zooming, scaling, rearranging notes and imported objects, shape recognition, sub-notes, image and video import, etc.) to create a truly unique writing/researching experience. Being able to import an entire PDF as a sub-note is amazing! This app is a joy to use, highly customizable, and allows me to research and take notes in a way that matches the way I think. If I had it in grad school, I’m pretty sure my thesis would have taken half as long! Big thanks to the developer(s)!!! Keep up the great work!!! Maybe you could add handwriting to text conversion? It’s certainly not critical, but it would be a killer feature that would make a truly amazing app that much more so.

I have been using ZoomNotes for years! Unlike some apps you pay for and they stop updating it or they add lots of in app purchases ZoomNotes updates regularly and they are quick to add functionality and new features like support for Apple Pencil 2 already!! Best of all they have very responsive tech support and are very quick to answer question. I really like the interface, it's not overwhelming when your trying to work however don't be fooled by how simple it looks, if you start going through the setting or read their manual online you will quick realize that ZoomNotes is so much more than your typical note taking application! Not only can you zoom in and out with no limits you can import power point slides and take notes on top of them (I take notes right on top of the power point slides during my Chemistry lectures) you can insert pictures, audio, documents, you can even have notes inside your notes! It’s possible to create whole presentations and so much more!! It’s easily worth the cost if not more!!

I needed the ability to use layers in a note taking app so I could do some more complex graphic manipulations on images for my planner. GoodNotes doesn’t have that capability. I also needed the ability to create links. ZoomNotes gives me both capabilities. It also has the ability to create sub documents, a type of “sticky note” on steroids. Now, I can keep some required monthly lists attached to the actual month where I generated them, instead of having to flip through several pages to find them. I’d like to see the ability to advance pages by gestures, rather than using a button, the same gestures that Procreate uses to undo/redo (two or three finger tap), and smoother page transitions— it’s a little rough right now. However, the developer appears to be very interested in improving things that make us digital planners happy, and I greatly appreciate his involvement. I have a feeling that I will soon make the permanent switch to using ZoomNotes as my primary notes app.